Monday, July 2, 2012

This will be the last blog post for 'Read, Write & Brew', for we are no more.

We leave the store with a lot of positives - we've fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning our own business, met a lot of great people along the way, learned a lot of valuable life lessons, and closed out having placed another tick next to one of our 'bucket list' goals.

Why did we decide to sell 'Read, Write & Brew'? Well, our life priorities changed, mainly due to the arrival of Xavier Patrick. Raising him and being great parents is our new goal in life, and the store was getting in the way of that.

We're now looking forward to lots of family time, the unknown path that lies ahead, and the fresh new opportunities that come along with that. We're also looking forward to a fresh new coffeehouse that's about to open up in our neighborhood!

Truett and Shana are working hard to revamp the store into 'Bean Fosters', and we hope you'll join us in welcoming them to the neighborhood, and pop in later this month to see what they've done with the space. Click here to transfer through to their blog site, and keep up to date on their progress.

Thanks again for your support over the years everyone!
We appreciate it more than you know.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Got questions about what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want answers, but don’t have the time to suit up and make an appointment with a councilor? Well keep those curlers in your hair, don a dressing gown over those PJ’s, and have your morning joe with Joe, or Saoirse, or another one of your Council reps. From these morning sessions at Read, Write & Brew, Jefferson and I have had many answers to questions we’ve had regarding our local neighborhood, from growing a tree in the nature strip near our house, to pesky traffic lights that always seem to be red (you know the ones we're talking about if you live in Eagle Ridge). No question or query is too small.

For more information about 'Coffee with a Councilor', email scharisgraves@cityofgolden.net or phone 303.709.7529, or just stop by unannounced. We won't mind. Curlers, PJ's and all. At least brush your teeth first though. It's all we ask.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Been wondering if the circular chess painted table at Read, Write & Brew is there for aesthetics or playing? Well, yes. Yes it is.

It's both!

Enjoy your next coffee and muffin on a one of a kind table top, or bring in your chess pieces (or borrow ours) and introduce yourselves to a whole new way of playing chess - or a whole 'ancient' way of playing chess... whichever way you like to look at it.

Read on for the background and history of Circular Chess, and the modern day rules to the game.

Circular chess is a chess variant played using the standard set of pieces on a circular
board consisting of four rings, each of sixteen squares. This is
topologically equivalent to playing on the surface of a cylinder.

History

Documents in the British Library and elsewhere suggest that circular chess was played in Persia as early as the 10th century AD, and further references are found in India, Persia, and, later, Europe. Historical rules are in sources that are little-known in the West, such as Muhammad ibn Mahmud Amuli's
'Treasury of the Sciences', so when, in 1983, Lincoln historian David
Reynolds came across a reference to the game being played in the Middle Ages and set about attempting to revive interest in it, he chose to draw up a new set of rules, based around those of orthodox chess. Since that time, the older rules of circular chess have become far better known.

Historical circular chess

Rules

One set of rules for medieval circular chess is from the Persian author Amuli (1325). In this version, called shatranj al-muddawara (circular chess) or shatranj al-Rûmîya
(Roman or Byzantine chess), the game uses a board with four concentric
rings, each split into 16 spaces, for a total of 64 spaces. The game
uses the same pieces as shatranj.
The king and the counselor on the inner ring, next to each other. The
next ring has the bishops, the next ring has the knights, and the last
ring has the rooks. A single row of 4 pawns flanks each side of the
central pieces. The king of one side "faces" the counselor of the other
(a shorter path is between the king of one side and the counselor of the
other than between the kings of the two sides). Movement is the same as
shatranj, except that, if two pawns from the same side, going in
opposite directions, end up being blocked by each other, the opponent
may remove both pieces, which does not use the opponent's turn. As there
is no back row, there is no promotion. A stalemate is a victory for the
stalemating player. A bare king is a loss for the player who only has
the king left unless, in the next turn, the player can also impose a
bare king, at which point the game is a draw.

If you're not into learning new games (with all the new rules, and learning processes, and rule referencing involved) and instead like to jump straight into a good old tried and tested game, we also have a Backgammon table all painted up and ready for you to enjoy too. Bring a friend, bring your lucky pieces, and make an afternoon of it.

Monday, February 27, 2012

It looks like a latte with caramel and some sprinklies on top. It tastes like walking through an apple orchard while drinking a coffee and chewing on some gooey caramel. Don't believe me? Try our 'Apple Caramel Macchiato'. You will NOT be disappointed.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Sip ‘n Chat with a City Council representative about; South Neighborhoods Plan, transportation,upcoming decisions for City Council, volunteering to make a difference, your priorities, your concerns, sharing ideas with your neighbors.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Hey! Did ya'll know that the Westword is currently taking votes for its' 'Best of Denver 2012' issue?

Click here to go directly to the voting page - and while you're there, can you think of any Used Bookstores or Coffeehouses in Golden worth a mention in the poll? Somewhere you can go to, say, read something, write something, and have a cup of brew? Hmmmmmm........

Saturday, February 11, 2012

So, I don't know where I was or what I was watching when Ally McBeal originally aired on TV. I would come into work and hear people talk about 'last nights episode' - but for some reason or another, I just never got around to watching it.

I recently noticed the whole series is available for instant watch on Netflix, and decided to get belatedly get caught up. You know, just in case a question about the show ever comes up in a game of Trivial Pursuit, or before another reference to "snappish!" flies completely over my head again. I figured it's a good way to pass the time as I jog on the treadmill.

How has any of this got anything to do with Read, Write & Brew?

This scene, that's what.

When I saw it, I 'bout fell off the treadmill. Because it's hot? Mmm-yeeesssss.... but more because this is exactly how I feel about my first cup of coffee of the day. I totally had an "I do that!" moment. If you don't get that response from your daily coffee, you're either: not doin' it right, paying too much, or buying your coffee from the wrong place.

People ask me if I'm a 'coffee connoisseur' because I own a coffeehouse. The answer is, no I am not. I may know a little more than the average person does about coffee, the processes involved, and how to brew it right, but I can't call myself a 'connoisseur'. However, it doesn't take a connoisseur to do the Ally McBeal test every time you have a cup of coffee - and if you get that 'ahhhhh' moment..., then that's how you know you're onto a good thing. When you're paying four or five bucks a pop, you'd better be getting at least that! That's what we believe at our store, and that's why we practice so much attention to detail when we make your drinks for you.

Editors note: I know that last sentence sounds like a shameful plug, and I almost deleted it for its lameness (or the lame sound of it) but I didn't because it's really and honestly true. How else are we gonna keep you all coming back to us again and again?

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Have a cup of coffee (or your favorite morning beverage) and and talk about issues in Golden with City Councilors Saoirse Charis-Graves, Marcia Claxton, and Joe Behm. The Mayor will attend if she is able. We'll bring some draft copies of the South Neighborhoods Plan and information about the upcoming Council calendar. Please do bring your priorities, your concerns and plan to share ideas with your neighbors.

About Us...

Opened October 16th 2009. Closed June 29th 2012. Re-opening late July under new owners, as 'Bean Fosters'. Thank you to all our customers who helped make Read, Write & Brew a great place to hang... (you know who you are!).